The True Christians T est, Part 1 · Meditation 88
MEDITAT. LXXXVIII. Of Unmercifulneſs, and Mercileſs Wiſdom.
THe Wiſdom which is from above, is full of Mercy; therefore that which is Cruel and Mercileſs, is Senſual, Worldly, and Devilliſh.
Mercifulneſs is an Attribute of God, wherein he ſeems to Glory; he makes it his Name, whereby he would be known and call'd: The Lord proclaimed the Name of the Lord, The Lord God, Merciful and Gracious, Long-ſuffering, abundant in Goodneſs and Truth, keeping Mercy for Thouſands, forgiving iniquity, tranſgreſſion, and ſin, Exod. 34. 6, 7. Here are ten Phraſes of like importance: And as for his Juſtice, it is onelyonly added in ſhort, that he will by no means clear the guilty.
What Compariſon can there be in Infinites? And yet the Pſalmiſt exalting the Merciful nature of God, tells us that his Mercies are over all his Works; and elſe where, his Mercies are far above the Heavens.
Angels and Good Men are commended for this, The Angels watch for the good and ſafety of the Elect, and bear them up in their hands. Good men are Merciful, they Give, they Lend, they Pity, they Help and Heal, they do Good to Enemies, they Forgive, and Pray that God would do ſo too; Lord lay not this ſin to their charge.
On the other hand, the nature of the Devil is cruel murderous; He was a Murderer from the beginning: and his eldeſt Son Cain imitated him exactly for Envy and Murder.
There is a great deal of cruelty in taking away the life of a man unjuſtly; in extream corrections, that do not reach the life; yea in the execution of a juſt ſentence of death or puniſhment, there may be much cruelty in the Executioner or Spectators; according to that true ſaying of the Moraliſt, Ferus eſt qui fruitur paena.
In many other things there is much cruelty. There are not onelyonly bloody Souldiers, cruel Gladiators and Aſſaſſinates; but cruel Maſters to Servants, both in impoſing of work, and withholding of maintenance: Cruel Landlords, that ſqueeze and grind their poor Tenants.
Cruel Patrons, that conſume what their Clients have, in procuring for them what they want.
Cruel Phyſicians and Chirurgions, who maintain Diſeaſes and prolong Sores; who take pleaſure in the pain, and find their own health in the ſickneſs of their Patients.
Cruel Magiſtrates, who govern their People with Scorpions inſtead of Scepters.
Cruel Miniſters, that either ſtarve or poyſon the Souls of men.
Nay there are Cruel Friends: I expect it will be asked: How that can be? For ought I ſee, the greateſt cruelties are practiſed under the notion of friendſhip. The oppreſſing Uſurer would have you think, he befriends you, when he conſumes you; that he ſupports you, when he ſupplants you; that he heals your diſeaſe, when he encreaſes it; that he ſecures you, when indeed he ſecures your Eſtate to himſelf: A kindneſs much like that of him who open'd our Mother Eve her eyes a little at preſent, but ſpoyl'd her ſight for ever after.
Your oppreſſing Neighbour would be thought friendly, when he gives you the bitter pill of a dear bargain, ſugar'd with ſix months time for Payment.
This kind of Friendſhip is juſt like Hercules his dealing with Anteus in the ſtory: you would have thought he had been lovingly hugging and embracing the Giant in his arms, when he was indeed choaking and ſtrangling him.
They that have no compaſſion on the miſerable, whether they be poor or ſick, or ſinful; much more they that trample upon thoſe, whom God hath caſt down, ſcorn them whom men have harm'd, and take away the garment of the naked from him, (as Eliphaz ſpeaketh) are nothing of kin to God, nor God to them, nor ſhall ever be owned for his children, till Oſtriches are found hatcht under the wings of Storks.
The Cruel Worldly Wiſdom is that which is cunning to invent torments.
Many Heatheniſh Tyrants of old have been famous for this helliſh ingenuity.
And the Modern Papiſts have endeavoured to match them; as may appear to any that reads the ſtory of the Perſecutions in Picdmont, written by the ingenious and faithful Hiſtorian Sir Samuel Morland; and by the Hiſtory of the Iriſh Rebellion.
The Holy Hiſtory furniſhes us with Examples of many whom the Devil (the great Proloctonus) has inſpir'd with Cruel Wiſdom.
Thus Cruelly wiſe was Achitophel aginſt the life of good King David; and Haman and his Accomplices againſt the Jews.
What an helliſh Device was that, to cut off ſuch a mighty Nation, Man, Woman, and Child, by the edge of the Sword, and all for a little Unmartialneſs found in one Male-content Melancholiſt amongſt them.
The offering up of poor children to Molech was cruel and unmerciful: But the Wiſdom of this cruelty appear'd in the loud beating of Drums, and other noiſes, made on purpoſe to ſecure their ears from any complaints that might affect them, and baracado up their hearts againſt all compaſſion. To burn the children was cruelty, to drown their cry was cruel wiſdom.
And do we not every day ſee what devices and ſhifts unmerciful men uſe, that they may not ſhew Mercy, and to prevent all occaſions or temptations ſo to do; ſtopping their ears, ſhutting their doors, getting out of the way, pretending not to be at home, or not at leiſure, when the poor would beg or borrow ought of them? The Comedian Plautus has well deſcrib'd this churliſh uncharitable wiſdom in the perſon of Euclio; and the wiſe Solomon in his Prov. 3. 28. Go and come again to morrow.
Lord let me be rather accounted a pooor ſhiftleſs fool, than either be wiſe to do evil, or not to do good?